Canada and Québec invest $16 million to establish an AI computing cluster at Université Laval

Story by The Canadian Press

In a bid to bolster Canada's AI capabilities, the federal and provincial governments have allocated $16 million towards the creation of an AI computing cluster at Université Laval.



The initiative aims to facilitate the acquisition of essential computing infrastructure required for Université Laval to host the Pan-Canadian AI Compute Environment (PAICE) platform. Under the funding, the federal government is contributing $9.6 million from the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS), while Québec is injecting an additional $6.4 million into the project.



Collaborating with Mila, the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (DRAC), and Calcul Québec, the PAICE platform seeks to address Canada's recent decline in global AI rankings, attributed partly to inadequate access to computing power. Reports suggest that Canada's underperformance in computing infrastructure investment and capacity is exacerbating brain drain in the AI talent pool.


Yoshua Bengio, Scientific Director of the Mila AI Institute, expressed concerns over potential talent loss, stating, "We still have one of the greatest talent concentrations in AI in the world. But we are in danger of losing it because now there’s so much money being invested in these large systems, mostly in the US, that the brain drain is probably coming back."



Aligned with the goals of the PCAIS, the federal government's investment aims to boost dedicated computing capacity for AI researchers nationwide. François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, emphasized the significance of AI, stating, "Our government recognizes that artificial intelligence represents significant technological progress."



George Ross, CEO of DRAC, underscored the organization's commitment to supporting Canadian AI research through the provision of essential computing resources. The funding not only strengthens DRAC's ability to support AI initiatives but also reinforces Canada's position as a global leader in AI innovation.


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